Great Decisions

Great Decisions Discussions Group in Social Hall at Manatee Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Bradenton, FL

Great Decisions Discussion Group is an annual seminar, held each of 8 weeks during February and March using the Great Decisions Manual published by the U.S. Foreign Policy Association of New York. Our group, 20 years old, is an official group, registered on the Great Decisions website and is open to the public. As a result, the discussion participants are not only from our Fellowship, but also from the community. This makes a group of about 20 — congenial, inquisitive and concerned about the world. Participants are encouraged to vote online for the various subjects covered in the discussion questions. An up-to-date global map is provided and supplemental readings are suggested.

An organizational meeting is held in January during which discussion books are distributed and members may sign up as facilitators for one of the eight topics. The topics are relevant to today’s world.

During the rest of each year, participants are invited to access the FPA at Foreign Policy Association to view the newsletter which highlights a different discussion group, has interviews and videos, and follows up on previously discussed topics with copies of recent magazine articles. Also there are conversations with foreign policy experts and videos of talks. Contact Bill Hayes: largomatch@hotmail.com or 727-470-9148 for information and to order books in Nov. and Dec. at a group rate.

The curriculum is developed by the Foreign Policy Association of New York. There is no requirement of knowledge about foreign affairs, just an interest in what is happening in the world around us. A different participant guides the discussion each week, but there is no requirement to do so. In addition to the discussion, a video is shown about the week’s topic. Each session last about 2 hours. We meet during the months of February and March. The curriculum book and a share of the video costs around $25.00.

For 2019 our organizing meeting will be Monday, January 14 at 10:00am. Everyone is welcome. No foreign policy expertise is needed and folks new to Greet Decisions are very welcome. We ask only that you read the material each week and maintain an open mind to diverse opinions.

The topics for 2019 are the following:

1. Refugees and Global Migration 2. The Middle East Regional Disorder 3. Nuclear Negotiations: Back to the Future 4. The Rise of Populism in Europe 5. Decoding US – China Trade 6. Cyber Conflict and Geopolitics 7. The US and Mexico: Partnership Tested 8. State of the State Department and Diplomacy

Great Decision Discussion Group – topics in 2017
February. Future of Europe
March 24. MarTrade and Politics
February. Conflict in the South China Sea
March 3. Saudi Arabia in Transition
February. US Foreign Policy and Petroleum
March 10. Latin America’s Political Pendulum
March 17. Prospects for Afghanistan and Pakistan
March 31. Nuclear Security

Great Decision Discussion Group – topics in 2016
The dates and topics were as follows:
2/1 The Middle East -Bill Hammes
2/8 The Future of Kurdistan – Walter Pascal
2/15 The United Nations – Bob Condon
2/22 Cuba and the U.S. – John and Carol Butzow
2/29 Migration -Ernie Kerr
3/7 The Koreas – Ed Kobee and Al Usack
3/14 The Rise of ISIS – Bob Yavis
3/21 Climate Change – Paul Carr

Great Decision Discussion Group – topics in 2014
The Great Decisions topics were as follows: Defense Technology, Israel and the U.S., Turkey’s Challenges, Islamic Awakening, Energy Independence, Food and Climate, China’s foreign policy, and U.S. trade policy. A final meeting included a video from the Foreign Policy Association.